Chuck In Oregon

The page for my Red Cross Hero's group doesn't show up.  I wonder what happened.  

I picked up some very nice Tsarist and Soviet badges military medical this spring in Tbilisi.  I'll share them on the Russian forums.

Chuck

A very interesting post.  Thank you.  However, my enthusiasm for a visit has now been quenched.

Chuck

Yes to the first, one of my most favorite badges,  No to the second.

i have a couple other items to share this week,too.

Thank you, fortech, and welcome to GMIC.  I think you're going to like it here.  You're off to a great start.  I'm already looking forward to your next contribution.

Do you have any special collecting interests?  If so, please tell us about them.  You're sure to find a kindred spirit here.

Chuck

I finally retrieved this little group last month.  It belonged to Georgian Nikolai Gregorie and I bought it from his descendants in Tbilisi.  It consists of his DRG aviator badge, his Imperial Russian Air Fleet portcigar (cigarette case) and hat badge.  I present it for your enjoyment, starting with the three-piece group.

Lots of gold on his Air Fleet portcigar.  I imagine him as a man of honor doing a hard job well.  Some idiot, of course, thought it would be a good idea to polish it on some kind of buffer.

Even the latch is gold.  I'm told he was Georgian royalty.  Might be, this bauble wasn't cheap.

His DRG officers' hat badge.  Not many of these around, either, I suspect, with the purges and all.

OK, here's the star of the group. You've waited long enough.  His DRG aviator badge.

And the reverse.

I'm back in Tbilisi for three weeks.  I have this badge in hand along with his DRG cockard and his silver portcigar, what I would call a cigarette case.  I've had a few of those over the years but this one is really interesting.  The aviator's name was Nikolai Gregoriev.

i also scored some more items for my Kalamkharov group.  You don't know about that yet but there are are lot of badges and a treasure trove of documents and photos.  I mean, a LOT.  By itself it is an Imperial/Soviet medical badge collection.  This trip I have added six or so photos, five medical badges and two cockards.  I think I will eventually post this group as a separate collection.  Any thoughts on that idea?  It has been an interesting journey through the doctor's family history and his mistress's family history with relics and photos from each.

Money being what it is, I can't afford a few other things that I've seen.  I couldn't resist an old silver with blue enamel St. Nicholas jetton, though.

Pictures to follow in late May.

One last thing.  I have decided to sell the bulk of my collections.  I'm lucky enough to have lived my full share and still be in reasonably good health.  It's time to pass it along.  Don't know quite where or how to start.  Maybe in our own sale room, something that I have not tried before.

it's been a good visit with close friends so far.  I'll be here for May 9th, which has always been a treat.  Not many of those men and women left.  BUT ... I'm going to supper with one tonight.

Good to be back here.  I've got so much you haven't seen.

Chuck

Here is what my friend wrote.  Be kind.  English is the least of his seven languages.

Dear Brother! As I also assumed, it is a memorable badge, no more than that. It is quite possible that the owner is right when says that he is made in 1930-1940. The matter is that on April 21 birthday of Catherine the Great, Russian Empress. From this I draw a conclusion that the sign is connected with this day in 1765. I looked at history of the Imperial palace and found here that...

• On April 21 - birthday of the Empress

after a lunch at 7 o'clock in the evening in "The first anti-camera" the small theater on which the opera on the French dialect ("Moneychanger") (1753) was submitted by juvenile court choristers was constructed. Jeanne-Joseph Vade's libretto (1719-1757) composer Antoine Dovern (1713-1797). This opera was repeated the same structure on April 23 and 24. Among juvenile court performers there was Dmitry Bortnyansky. In 1765 to it 14 years were executed, but he in 1764 performed the main part — "tsar Ahmet" in Sumarokov's opera of "Altsest".

On other sources, juvenile court choristers executed the French opera "Letroker". Since then at this theater before construction stone "opera"" the top garden, theatrical representations almost weekly were given.

And one more fact....
On April 21 "The amber room at Catherine II was a favourite place for evening meetings. Here the intimate circle of courtiers was engaged in gambling, meanwhile, as in the next Picture hall tables for a dinner prepared. Here on April 21, 1765, at birthday of the empress I occurred game at what in the yard "from guard there was a congratulation a drumbeat  
More no events at birthday of the queen occurred. I think a sign is connected with these events 

How big is it? What does the back look like and how does it attach? A picture would be better. Perhaps a veterans pin or an event commemorative? I've asked a friend to research it for you.

Chuck

That's very nice to hear. You can be sure I'll post some new pictures in late May. I've still got a couple things from last year that I haven't shared yet. Don't know why.

Meanwhile, my buddy has found a small partisan group, from a radio operator in the Ukrainian resistance. It has a Partisan Medal, Second Class, with document, a Chernenko variant (1984 re-issue) OPW-2 and a partisan veteran's badge. I have no idea how much to pay for this so if anyone has any thoughts, please share them with me.

God bless all here!

I thought no one enjoyed this one. Thank you for your kind words. I'll be in Tbilisi for three weeks in April-May and I'll bring this and a few other collectibles home with me. Plus, I'll attend their Victory Day celebration. There won't be many more with living veterans. I'll share some pictures.

Chuck

Me too!

A job well done, Lambert.

Got mine as soon as I saw your post.

Kudos to the white diggers. Their work is extraordinary.

Black diggers are well known. Martin Cruz Smith's character Arkady Renko spends some time with them in his novel Stalin's Ghost. Well worth the read.

OK, I see. It looks a little bit too too perfect. I have one of those around here somewhere. It's a good one but not perfect. Where did you see this one?

What does the question in #56 mean?

Nice collection you have there. I look forward to seeing more and learning from you. Welcome to GMIC!

Yours looks like item 2504, page 521, in Avers 8. They show only an illustration. I infer from that it is rare or, at least, seldom encountered.

You're right. It is a Georgian TsIK badge from the 1920s-30s, item 2549, page 527, in Avers 8. I stand corrected and still confused.

​Not only that, I can't find my notes about this badge or the group I bought. I'll keep looking.

Thank you.

Chuck

I sold off my modest deputy's badge collection a few years ago. I could never find the scarce ones and I gave up trying. However, last spring I came across a small Abkhazian group that included, sure enough, an Abkhaz deputy's badge. I'll post the other things separately but I thought this deserved its own thread.

Anyone else have any of the rare ones? The only others I kept are part of a 40-year set belonging to a former head of the Georgian KGB.

I'd like to share an aviation badge that I acquired a month or so ago. It is from the Democratic Republic of Georgia Air Force. The DRG existed from 1918 to 1921 and it must have had, I surmise, a very small air arm.

The plane is an Ansaldo SVA-10, not one I had heard of before. Wiki says they had 10 Ansaldo aircraft in 1920.

The two letters are a K and an A, for Kartuli Aviatsia or Georgian Aviation. The cross is a classic Georgian cross of drooping grape vines known variously as St. Nino's Cross, Georgian Cross or Grapevine Cross.

This badge is not yet in my hands but it is in the hands of a close Georgian friend. There is an associated group which I have yet to see or pay for. I'm pretty curious.

Enjoy

Could it be for Excellent Service in the Ninth Five Year Plan?

Chuck

What TacHel said. You have a wonderful feel for stark realism. It may be time to put self doubt aside go all in with your talent. Not quitting your day job, I'm sure Don would advise against that, but putting yourself out to more important venues and galleries. Oh, did I mention my lack of qualifications to advise on artistic endeavors?

As for me, I enjoy your art and I'd like to buy in at the entry level. I have one of Don's paintings (he is definitely not cheap) and we're negotiating on another. He lusts for a 1st gen Colt SAA that I own. I lust for a major work by him... but it is a really nice Colt.

Good thread.

Chuck

My good friend Don Prechtel is a well-known military and western painter. Your work is fantastic. I'm going to show it to him. Check out his site with the link. I think you'll like it, as will anyone interested in military and old west art, as well as a few other of his favorite themes.

Do you already sell your work? Sorry, but this is all new to me. I hope you do.

Chuck

Could it be that suicide in exile was the same as murdered in exile?